Tensioning device for winding machines



8, 19 M. J. KIRK 2,363,677

TENSIONING DEVICE FOR WINDING MACHINES Filed April 8, 1942 :5 Sheets-She'e t 1 1 30 5 10 20 27 I I I I I, X I i V kin I) !gi H l 15 26 INVENTOR. Martm J. Kirk A t to r-ney Nov. 28, 1944. M. J. KIRK 2,363,677

- TENSIONING DEVICE FOR WINDING MACHINES Filed April 8, 1942 A 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wilma E s INVENTQR. Martzn J Kirk BY M Attor ne y NOV. 28, M K

TENSIONING DEVICE FOR WINDING MACHINES Filed April 8, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Marin? JKLIk Attorney Patented Nov. 28, 1944 .TENSIONING DEVICE FOR WINDING MACHINES a Martin J Kirk, Chicago, 111., assignor to Johnson Laboratories, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois ApplicationApril 8, 1942, Serial No. 438,178

11 Claims.

time, it is necessary to maintain a suitable tension on the filaments during the winding operation, or else the filaments will not be evenly and properly wound by the machine into the desired It is an object of the present invention coils. to maintain the winding tension on the filaments, substantially uniform during the winding operation for considerable diiierences in external diameter of the material on the supply spool or reel, and to provide such convenient adjustments for the tension that said tension may be made anything desired from substantially zero to the maximum tension the filament will stand in any case, by a simple and direct operation which is readily graduated to the most minute degrees of difference, the construction being such'that for any adjustment of tension, the tension is maintained substantially unchanged until some other tension is desired. The invention is particularly adapted to the winding of electric wires of small diameter, regardless of whether the wire is plain, insulated, solid, stranded or whatever its construction mav be, the result being that the wire is wound by the winding machine in mak ng the desired coils. with a desired tension applied to the wire being wound, and without danger of breaking the wire however line; it may be.

In carrying out my invention, the supply spool or reel is mounted in fixed position, and a removing arm is mounted for angu ar movement around theaxis of the spool or reel. wh ch arm carries a guidin device for rotarv movement around and spaced s mewhat from the external cylindrical periphery of the supply snoo-l or reel. adjustable friction devices be ngprovided o apply to the arm just the desired degree of restraint to angularmovement. The wire or o her fila ent is led through the guid ng dev ce and from the removing arm throu h suitable guides and through a guiding dev ce on a light-wei ht. takeup'm'm amplnvnd tn nnmnphsate for ein'hf. irr'nm'llarities that may occur in the w nd n o erati for example. d e to mo ement of th d c s e played in applying the wire or-fila ent to t e c l belnz wound. Adjustable devices are provided in In many cases the fila-' connection with the take-up arm to aiiord desired pressure variations in the take-up action according to the requirements of difierent cases.

Myinvention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates schematically inplan view, my improved tensioning devices in-their relation to a coil being wound;

Fig. 2 is a view showing in right-hand side elevation, the tensioning devices illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the tensioning devices illustrated in Fi 1, in front elevation, this view being taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view to an enlarged scale, of a part of thestructure illustrated in Fig. 3, this view being taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of a. part i of the structure shown in Fig. 4, taken along the line 55 inFig.4; v

; shown in Fig. 4, Fig.4;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a part of the structure taken along the line 66 in Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a part oi the structure shown in Fig. 3, taken along the Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view to'an enlarged scale, of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 3, taken along the line 8-8 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 3, illustrating diagrammatically the forces applied to the removing arm of the tensioning devices, this view being taken along the line ll9 in Fig. 3.

Similar numerals refer to similar p a r t s throughout the several views.

As shown in Fig. 1, my tensioning devices comprise a rigid frame Ill in the lower part of which a spool or reel II is mounted with its axis in vertical position, said spool being restrained against rotary movement in a manner to be described. 'A removing arm I! is mounted as will be described. for rotary movement around the axis of the spool l I, said arm being provided with a guiding device l3 movable around the, periphery of the spool. The guiding devices also include a take-up arm ll pivotally connected with the frame II, and during operation of the devices having a position extending forwardly and laterally from the 'frame l0, so that the wireor filament l5 removed from the spool II by the guiding device l3, will pass ,from stationary guides supported by the frame I 0, under a grooved roller l8 mounted for extends to a coil form l8 operated by the winding machine, to form the desired coil. The guid ing and applying devices the coil form l8, and the partsemployed to operate the same, are parts of any winding machine that may be used with the tensionlng devices constituting the subjectmatter of the present invention, and may have any desired construction and operation, according to the nature of the coils to be wound by the winding machine, and since the guiding and applying devices l1 and the coil form 18 constitute no part of the present invention, they are not further illustrated or described, being shown in Fig. 1 for the sole purpose of illustrating the delivery action of my improved tensioning devices.

In Fig. 2, the action of the take-up arm l4 and the roller l6 are more clearly shown'relatively to th wire 'or filament 5 being wound. As shown in Fig. 2, the frame l0 supports in a. vertical plane, a toothed wheel I!) to which one end of a tensioning spring 20 is secured, to exert upon th arm I 4 the desired degree of pressure to compensate for inequalities that may develop in any winding operation. The toothed wheel I! is engaged by a latch 2| pivotally mounted on the frame In at 22 and provided with a spring 23 holding it in engagement with the wheel l9 unless removed therefrom for adjustment purposes. Excepting as restrained by the spring 20, the wheel I! is mounted for free angular movement on-its support.

As shown in Fig. 3, the wire or filament l5 after leaving the guiding device l3, extends through a guide 24 above and substantially in the axis of the spool I I, fromwhich the wire or filament extends to a second guide 25 also carried by the upper part-of the frame Ill, from which the wire or filament passes under the roller l6 carried by the arm |4. As shown in Fig. '3, the arm I4 is provided at its end opposite to the roller l6, with a bearing portion |4b extending at substantially right angles to the said arm, which bearing portion is supported in a horizontally disposed sleeve 26 rigidly secured to the corresponding side member of the frame III.

As shown in Fig. 8, the sleeve 26 extends with a tight fit through the frame In and projects outwardly from said frame a sumcient distance to afford a substantial support for the bearing portion MD of the arm l4. Adjacent the frame l0 and on the outer side thereof, the sleeve 26 is of reduced diameter and shouldered to form a support for the wheel I! on which saidwheel may be freely turned to adjust the spring 23 which is loosely disposed around the sleeve 26, one end of ,said spring being connected with said wheel in any convenient manner, for example, by a screw lea carried by said wheel. The hearing portion |4b is extended beyond the sleeve 26 and has secured thereto a collar 21 by means of a suitable set-screw 28, the other end of the spring 2|! being connected with said set-screw. For any operating condition, the wheel I! is turned in a direction to place the spring 2|! under stress, to hold the roller l6 against the wire or filament with any desired pressure, and it will be observed that during operation of. the arm |4, there is no movement of the ratchet wheel I9 relatively to the frame II. A stop member 29 is sec dt the lower portion of the frame III in the path of the wheel l6, to limit movement of the arm l4 under the action of the spring 20, when the takeup device is not in operation.

Devices are preferably provided for holding each of the guides 24 and 25 in desired angular position, as illustrated for the guide 24 in Fig. "l, which consist of threading the end of the guide and screwing it into a correspondingly threaded hole in the frame I, but limiting the length of the guide so that its threaded end extends only part way through the frame, a short set-screw 30 being screwed into the same threaded hole and tightly against the end of the guide, after the guide has been given its desired angular position. In this manner, the guide is held in any desired position to properly cooperate with the wire or filament l5 as it moves through the tensionlng mechanism.

As shown in Fig. 4, the spool II is removed from its support to more clearly illustrate the construction. The bottom member of the frame III has rigidly secured thereto the lower end of a stud 3|, which is shouldered just above the frame III to support a tapered sleeve 32, which sleeve is secured to the stud by a set-screw 33. The sleeve is so tapered that its upper end will enter freely into the bore of the spool II, and that its lower tapered end is somewhat larger than the bore in the spool, so that when the spool is placed on its support, the engagement of the sleeve 32 with the spool, prevents rotation of the spool for any turning effort exerted on the spool by removing the wire or filament therefrom. Above the sleeve 32, the stud 3| also coaxially supports a tube 34 having substantially the sameextemal diameter as the upper end of the tapered portion of the sleeve 32, said tube 34 being a t ght-enough ,fit on the stud 3| to prevent displacement thereof on said stud. The stud 3| and tube 34 constitute a. support for the spool from which the filament or wire is to be removed by the tensionlng devices, the axis of said support as shown, being vertical. The bore in the upper end of the tube 34 constitutes a support for a rod 35 which is a sliding fit therein, which rod is provided above the end of .the tube 34 and spaced therefrom, with a flange 36- loosely supporting on its upper surface a smooth washer 31 on which a sleeve 38 rests for free turning movement. The sleeve 33 is rigidly secured to the upper end of the removing arm l2, and above the sleeve 38, .the rod 35 carries a collar 39 engaged by the lower end of a spring 43 surrounding the upper end of the rod 35. The upper portion of the rod 35 is threaded to engage an adjusting nut 4| which by being turned on the rod 35, develops difierent'degrees of stress in a the spring 40, and thus produces desired frictional resistance between the sleeve 33 and the collar 39, as well as between the sleeve 36, the surfaces of the washer 31, and the upper surface of the. flange 36. The collar 33 is preferably made of good bearing material, for example plastic composition or metal of any desired kind, and as shown in Fig. 5, the rod 35-is fiat-sided, suilicient material of the rod being removed from its opposite sides to engage a fiat-sided clearance aperture in the collar 33 so that the collar cannot rotate relatively to said rod. The flattened portion of the rod 35 extends a, short distance into the upper end of the sleeve 33 as indicated in Fig. 4, but the remainder of the rod in said sleev is preferably cylindrical to afford a good bearing surface for the sleeveas it is rotated relatively to the rod 35 in removing filament or wire from '42 in engagement with the bayonet slot 34a.

When, however, it is desired to remove a spool H from the tube 34, or to place a spool on said tube, the entire removing arm assembly may be removed from the tube 34 by grasping the flange 36 and moving it downwardly against the action of the spring 43, and then rotating the rod 35 suinciently to disengage the pin 42 from the bayonet slot 340., for which position of the parts, the entire removing arm assembly may be readily lifted from the tube 34, so that the tube is available for any change in spools II that may be desired. At

the same time,'the tension or friction adjustment of the removing arm assembly is not altered or changed in any way by theremoval, and when the removing arm assembly is again placed in the tube 34, it will operate as before without readjustment of the friction devices described.

As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6, the construction of the guiding devices i3, 24 and 25 is preferably such that the wire or filament may be inserted in the said devices without threading it through them, the device I3 having spaced fingers l3a, as shown in Fig. 6, between which the body portion of the wire or filament may be slipped in placing it-in the guiding device, the ends of the uides 24 and 25 being sufficiently, spaced from the other portions of said guides so that a similar operation may be effected with each of said guides.

As a result of the construction described, tension exerted upon the wire or filament l5 by a vwinding machine. not only raises the take-up ing moment rotates the arm against the friction produced by the adjustment of the spring 40, and

4 around the axis of the spool I I, so that as long as a sufficient tension on the wire or filament is exerted to overcome the friction produced by the adjustment of thespring 4B, the removingarm I2 will rotate around the spool II in a direction to remove the wire or filament from the spool. In this manner, the problems involved in rotating the considerable masses of wire carried by supply spools, including applying suitable friction to prevent undesired rotation of the spools or reels, and maintaining such friction uniform, are entirely avoided. By my improved construction, the only mass that must be rotated is the remov ing arm l2, the guide [3 and the sleeve 38 supporting the arm l2, and these parts may readily be made so light in weight that there is substantially no inertia incident to starting or stopping the rotation of the parts. In this way the tendency to exert undue strains upon the wire or filament for any acceleration of the'winding machine, is avoided, and any tendency to loosen the wire or filament on the supply spool or reel when operation of the winding machine is retarded, is also avoided.

While I have shown my invention in the particular embodiment above described, I do not limit myself thereto as I may employ equivalents thereof without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. Tensioning devices for coil winding machines, including in combination a support for holding a filament supply spool stationary, a removing arm mounted for angular movement around the axis of said support, said arm having a filament guiding device for angular movement around and spaced from the periphery of a supply spool on said support, and friction devices for restraining free angular movement of said arm, said support including a stationary tube, a rod movable into and from said tube, a bearing for said arm carried by said rod, said tube and said rod having a cooperating pin and slot constituting a bayonet connection for holdin said rod in said tube, and a spring in said tube tending to remove said rod therefrom.

2. Tensioning devices for coil winding machines, including in combination a support for holding a filament supply spool stationary, a removing arm mounted for angular movement around the'axis of said support, said arm having a filament guiding device for angular movement around and spaced from the periphery of asupply spool on said support, and friction devices for restraining free angular movement of said arm, said spool support including a tube and tapered member for holding said spool against rotation, and said friction devices including a flanged rod removably mounted in said tube, a sleeve rotary on said rod and rigidly secured to said arm and resting against the flange on said rod, a friction disk on said rod and resting against said sleeve,

a spring around said rod and resting against said disk, and a nut threaded on the outer end portion of said rod and pressing against the outer end of'said spring, whereby said friction devices are removable from and mountable on said tubev as a ply spool on said support, and friction devices for restraining free angular movement of said arm, said spool support including a tube and tapered member for holding said ,spool against rotation, and said friction devices including a flanged rod removably mounted in said tube, a sleeve rotary on said rod and rigidly secured to said arm and resting against the flange on said rod, a friction disk on said rod and resting against said sleeve,

a spring around said rod and resting against said disk, and a nut threaded on the outer end portion of said rod and pressing against the outer end of said spring, whereby said friction devices prising vertical side members and horizontal top and bottom members, a stud extending upwardly from and rigidly secured to said bottom member, a tube coaxial with said stud and secured thereto for supporting a supply spool, a tapered member on and secured to said stud for motion-restraining engagement with said spool, a flanged rod supported against rotary movement by said tube, a sleeve rotary on said rod above said flange, a removing arm rigidly secured to said sleeve and extending downwardly therefrom outside of and spaced radially from the periphery of said supply spool, friction devices on said rod and engaging said sleeve, a guide carried by the lower end of said arm, and a second guide secured to said upper frame member substantially in line with the axis of said stud. f

5. Tensioning devices for coil winding machines, including in combination a frame comprisingvertical side members and horizontal top and bottom members, a stud extending upwardly from and rigidly secured to said bottom member, a tube coaxial with said stud and secured thereto for supporting a supply spool, a tapered member on and secured to said stud for motionrestraining engagement with said spool, a flanged rod supported against rotary movement by said tube, a sleeve rotary on said rod above said flange, a removing arm rigidly secured to said sleeve and extending downwardly therefrom outside of and spacedradially from the periphery of said supply spool, friction devices on said rod and en'- gaging said sleeve, a guide carried by the lower end of said arm, and a second guide secured to' said upper frame member substantially in line with the axis of said stud, said friction devices including a friction disk on said rod above said sleeve, a spring on said rod above said 'disk, and a nut threaded on the upper end of sai 1 rod above said spring.

6. Tensioning devices for coil winding machines including in combination a frame comprising vertical side members and horizontal top and bottom members, a stud extending upwardly from and rigidly secured to said bottom member, a tube coaxial with said stud and secured thereto for supporting a supply spool, a tapered member on and secured to said stud for motionrestraining engagement with said spool, a flanged rod supported againstrotary movement by said tube, a sleeve rotary on said rod above said flange, a removing arm rigidly secured to saidsleeve and extending downwardly therefrom outside of and spaced radially from the periphery of said supply spool, friction devices on said rod and engaging said sleeve, a-guide carried by the lower end of said arm, and a second guide secured to said upper frame member substantially in line with the axis of said stud, said friction devicesincluding a friction disk on said rod above said sleeve, a spring on said rod above said disk, and a nut threaded on the upper end of said rod above said spring, said rod being flat-sided through a correspondingly shaped clearance openingin said disk.

7. Tensioning devices for coil winding machines, including in combination a frame com-.-

prising vertical side members and horizontal top and bottom members, a stud extending upwardly from and rigidly secured to said bottom member, a tube coaxial with said stud and secured thereto for supporting a supply spool, atapered Y member on and secured to said stud for motionrestraining engagement with said spool, a flanged rod supported against rotary movement by said tube, a sleeve rotary on said rod above said flange,

ascaovv a removing arm rigidly secured to. said sleeve and extending downwardly therefrom outside of and spaced radially from the periphery of said supply spool, friction' devices on said rod and engaging said sleeve, a guide carried by the lower end of said arm, a second guide secured to said upper frame member substantially in line with the axis of said stud, a take-up arm pivotally supported for vertical movement on one of the side members of said frame, and a guide roller supported by the outer end of said takeup arm for rotary movement around a horizontal axis.

8. Tensioning devices for coil winding machines, including in combination a frame comprising vertical side members and horizontal top and bottom members, a stud extending upwardly from and rigidly secured to said bottom member, a tube coaxial with said stud and secured thereto for supporting a supply spool, a tapered member on and secured to said stud for motion-restraining engagement with said spool, 'a flanged rod supported against rotary movement by said tube, a sleeve rotary on said rod above said flange, a. removing arm rigidly secured to said sleeve and extending downwardly therefrom outside of and spaced radially from the periphery of said supply spool, friction devices on said rod and engaging said sleeve, a guide carried by the lower end of said arm, a second guide secured to said upper frame member substantially in line with the axis of said stud, a take-up arm pivotally supported for vertical movement on .one of the side members of said frame, and a guide roller supported by the outer end of said take-up arm for rotary movement around a horizontal axis, the support for said take-up arm including a, horizontal and tubular bearing member rigidily secured to and extending from said side frame member and including a horizontal cylindrical portion of said arm journaled in and extending through said bearing member, and a tensioning spring connected at its ends respectively with said journal portion and said side frame member. 1

9. Tensioning devices for coil winding machines, including in combination aframe comprising vertical side members and horizontal top and bottom members, a stud extending upwardly from and rigidly secured to said bottom member, a tube coaxial with said stud and secured thereto for supporting a supply spool, a tapered member on and secured to said stud for motionrestraining engagement with said spool, a flanged rod supported against rotary movement by saidtube, a sleeve rotary on said rod above said flange, a removing arm rigidly secured to said sleeve and extending downwardly therefrom outside of and spaced radially from the periphery of said supply spool, friction devices on said rod and engaging said sleeve, a guide carried by the lower end of said arm, a second guide secured to said upper frame member substantially :in line with the axis of said stud, 'a take-up arm pivotally supported'for vertical movement on one of the side members of said frame, and a guide roller supported by the outer end of said take-up arm for rotary movement around a horizontal axis, the support for said take-up arm including a horizontal and tubular bearing member rigidly secured to and extending from said side frame member and including a horizontal cylindrical portion of said arm journaled in and extending through said bearing member, a tensioning spring connected at its ends respectively with said ,Iourasoae'n in combination a take-up arm pivotally supported by said frame for movement in a vertical plane, a spring tending to move said take-up arm in said vertical plane, and devices for adjusting as desired the tension of said spring, the support for said take-up arm including a horizontal and tubular bearing member rigidly secured to and extending from said frame and including a horizontal cylindrical portion of said am journaled in and extending through said bearing member,

said spring being connected with said journal portionandbeingalsoconnectedthroughsaid,

adjusting devices with said frame.

11. Means for tensioning the filament removed from a stationary supply spool having a removing arm mounted for angular movement around the axis of said 'spool and provided with a supporting frame, which tensioning means includes in combination a take-up arm pivotally supported by said frame for movement in a vertical plane, a spring tending to move said take-up arm in said vertical plane, devices for adjusting as desired the tension of said spring, the support for said take-up arm including a horizontal and tubular bearing member rigidly secured to and extending from said frame and including a horizontal cylindrical portion of said arm journaled in and extending through said bearing'member,

said adjusting devices including a toothed wheel rotary around said bearing member and connected with one end of said spring, and a latch carried by said frame for engaging said toothed wheel, said spring comprising a coil spring mounted around said bearing member and hav-. ing its other end connected with said journal portion. 

